Automobile bumper



3, 1935. H. s. JANDUs ET A1.

AUTOMOBILE BUMPER Filed March 51, 1953 Patented Dec. 3, 1935 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE Mich., assignors to General Spring BumperCorporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application March31, 1933, Serial No. 663,678

5 Claims.

This invention relates to an automobile bumper and more particularly toa multi-section bumper in which a gap is provided centrally of thebumper so as to enable a more extensive front view of the radiator.

With the advent of the automobile with the sloping front radiator itbecame especially desirable to provide a bumper which would afford aminimum amount of obstruction to the front View of the radiator. It isaccordingly the aim of this invention to provide a bumper havingmulti-impact bar sections with a centrally disposed gap between them andopposite the radiator whereby a minimum amount of obstruction to a Viewof the automobile radiator is afforded.

An object therefore of this invention is to provide an improvedautomobile bumper which will fulfill the above discussed requirements.

Another object of the invention is to provide a multi-impact bar sectionbumper of simple construction but yet of sufiicient rigidity andstability to withstand the shock and strain to which the bumper may beexposed in use.

In accordance with the general features of this invention there isprovided an automobile bumper including impact bar sections on oppositesides of the automobile radiator and with a central gap between them toenable a more eX- tensive as well as a substantially unobstructed frontview of the radiator.

Another feature of the invention relates to the provision of a novellyarranged tie-bar between the impact bar sections of our bumper.

A still further feature of the invention relates to the provision of abumper with novel clamps or closures for connecting the oppositeextremities of the impact bar sections to the other parts, including thetie-bar, of the bumper.

Other objects and features of this invention will more fully appear fromthe following detailed description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawing and in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a bumperembodying the features of this invention and in which one of theenclosing clamps has been omitted so as to more clearly illustrate themanner in which each impact bar section is connected to the other partsof the bumper;

Figure 2 is a front view of the bumper shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View taken on the lineIII- III of Figure 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on theline IV-IV of Figure 2 looking downwardly; and

Figure 5 is a View of a fragmentary part of a modified form of bumper inwhich a single back bar is provided which extends the full length 5 ofthe bumper.

The reference characters I IJ and II indicate front or impact barsections between which there is a centralgap to provide a substantiallyunobstructed front View of the automobile radiator l0 to the rear of thebumper. This central gap is designated generally by the referencecharacter I2. Y

The outermost extremities of the impact bar sections Ill and IIterminate in pivot or hinge l5 barrels I3 and I4 which may be of anysuitable or conventional construction. These two barrels also havehingedly connected to them back bars I5 and IS disposed opposite theimpact bar sections I 8 and II respectively. It should be noted 20 atthis time that while in the preferred form of the invention we haveillustrated the bumper as being provided with two spaced back bars I5and I 6, such bars may be formed into a single bar such as the bar I'Ishown in Figure 5 without de- 25 parting from the spirit and scope ofthis invention.

The impact bar sections I 0 and II are also connected to the back barstructure irrespective of whether it be a two piece back bar or a single30 piece back bar by means of twisted braces I8 and I9 disposedintermediate the ends of the bumper. These braces are twisted and bentin such a manner that their rear ends 20 and 2I respectively liesubstantially in the plane of the 35 back bars I5--I6 or the back barI'I. 'Ihe ends 20-2I of the two braces I8 and I9 may be secured in anysuitable manner to the back bar structure and may be connected directlyto the support 40 members on the automobile to which the bumper isadapted to be anchored.

The gap I2 between the impact sections I0 and II is bridged by atie-bar- 22 which is disposed in substantially a horizontal plane, or,in other words, in a plane substantially at right angles to the verticalplane of the impact bar sections I0 and II.

'Ihe inner ends of the impact bar sections ID and II are turnedinwardlyas indicated -at 23 5o and 24 respectively. These turned ends 23 and 24are disposed substantially at right angles to the vertical plane but atan acute angle with the horizontal plane. Similarly the end portions 25and 26 of the tie bar 22 are bent in the same 55 degree as that of theends 23 and 24 and so as to lie flat upon the turned back ends 23 and24.

As best shown in Figures 3 and 4, these overlapped ends of the impactbar sections and the tie-bar are clamped together and to thecorresponding end of the adjacent brace l8--I9. This clamping `action iseiected by means of a pair of angular clamps 21 and 28' for the impactbar sections I and Il respectively. Each of these clamps 21-28 is heldin place by means of bolts 29 and clamping plates 30 disposed behind thecorresponding impact bar section. These clamps 21 and 28 are inclined inopposite directions and serve to deiine the gap l2 between the impactbar sections I0 and I l and cause colliding objects to glance off.

It should further be noted that the tie bar 22 is disposed substantiallyat right angles to the plane of the impact bar sections I0 and ll andenables this bar to materially enhance the strengthof the bumper aswelll as to maintain the impact bar sections I0 and VVH in properlongitudinal alignment. This tie` bar 22 is disposed between the loweredges of the impactbar sections IU and H as best shown in Figure 2 andis slightly bowed in shape so as to afford very little obstruction tothe front View of the radiator which is visible through the gap I2between the impact bar sections l0 and Il;

Of course, it is evident that the spaced impact bar sections l0 and Ilafford ample protection for the automobile opposite the fenders of thesame, it being at the same time understood that such protection is notso necessary at the center of the bumper as at the portions opposite thefenders.

Now, we desireit understood that while we have illustrated and describedin detail the preferred embodiments of this invention, the invention isnot to be thus limited but only insofar as dened by the scope and spiritof the appended claims.

We claim as our invention:

1. In an automobile, impact bar sections with a central gap between themvto aiord a more extensive front View of the automobile radiator, saidsections being in substantially a vertical plane, anda relatively narrowtie bar between said sections and bridging said gap, said tie bar beingflat and having its at sides in substantially a horizontal plane.

2. In a bumper for the front of an automobile, impact sections spacedapart at the center of the bumper so as to provide a central gap betweensaid sections whereby a minimum amount of obstruction to a view of anautomobile radiator is aorded, and means tying the sections togetherdisposed between the lower edges of the sections and at right angles tothe plane of the impact sections.

3. In a bumper for the front of an automobile, impact sections spacedapart at the center of the bumper so as to provide a central gap betweenl5 said sections whereby a minimum amount of ob*- structions to a viewof an automobile radiator is afforded, and means tying the sectionstogether disposed between the lower edges of the sections, said tyingmeans being bowed downwardly beyond the plane of the lower edges of theimpact sections.

4. In an automobile, impact bar sections with a central 'gap betweenthem to afford a more extensive front view of the automobile radiator, a25 relatively narrow impact and tie bar between and formingsubstantially a continuation of the lower edges of the impact surfacesof Said sections, and means including clamps shielding the junctures ofsaid sections and tie bar and securing the same together and definingthe extremities of said gap.

5. In an automobile, impact bar sections with a central gap between themto aord a more extensive front view of the automobile radiator, arelatively narrow impact and tie bar between and forming substantially acontinuation of the lower edges of the impact surfaces of said sections,and means including clamps shielding the junctures of said sections andtie bar and securing the same together and deiining the extremities ofsaid gap, said clamps being upwardly and outwardly inclined to causecolliding objects to glance off and so as to materially enhance the viewof the radiator alforded through said gap.

HERBERT S. JANDUS. BLADEN M. SHORT.

